Automatic fire alarm



:April 8 1924.

R. C. URIARTE ET AL AUTOMATIC FIRE ALARM Filed March so. 1922 Fig.1 3

Patented Apr. 8, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAMON CORTILES URIARTE AND VICENTE ALZUGARAY ALDANA, OF BARCELONA,

SPAIN.

AUTOMATIC FIRE ALARM.

Application filed March 30, 1922.

To all whom it may concern.

' ,Be it known that we, RAMON CORTILES URIARTE and VICENTE ALZUGARAY ALDANA,

both subjects of the King ofSpain, and both residing at No. 699 Rue de Cortes, Barcelona, Spain, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Fire Alarms, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to improvements in automatic fire-alarms and has for its object to provide an improved automatic fire-alarm which shall retain its maximum and required sensitiveness for operating on the occurrence .of a sudden rise in temperature of its immediate surroundings, and shall yet remain inoperative when the rise in temperature takes place slowly and normally owing to a normal cause, such as sun-heat, heating or for other reasons, which is not the case with the usual automatic fire-alarms known hitherto.

The improvements according to the pressent invention are based on the fact that as the temperature rises in a closed space, the

layers of heated air rise until they reach the top, so that the several layers of hot air increase in thickness from top to bottom.

In applying these improvements to an so automatic fire-alarm of a type comprising heat-absorbing devices or tubes, these said devices or tubes are arranged in three independent sections or groups situated one above another, in such a manner that the layer of heated air contained in the closed space in which the alarm is set up, will act slowly and gradually upon the said, groups of devices or tubes one after the other, escaping from each through a suitable passage-way provided for this purpose.

An improved automatic fire-alarm apparratus embodying the improvements of this invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a vertical section, and

Figure 2 a horizontal section of the improved fire-alarm apparatus.

As shown :1 is the pedestal of the firealarm apparatus to which is secured a perforated metal casing 2 having fixed to it a domed top 3 furnished with a part 4 serving for the purpose of fixing, the fire-alarm at any suitable spot.

The casing 2 contains the fire-alarm apparatus proper composed of two rigid cham- Serial No. 548,150.

bers 5 and 6 between which are arranged heat-absorbing tubes to the number of nine, 1n such a manner as to form three sections or groups 7, 8 and 9, separated from one another by fiat chambers 10 and 11 in which a thin partition 10, 11' is respectively arranged. The tubes 7 carry at their upper ends a similar flat chamber 12, and the tubes 9 carry at their lower ends a similar fiat chamber 18. Both these chambers 12 and 13 contain thin partitions similar to the partitions 10,'11'.

The tubes 7 are in communication with chamber 12 and the upper part of chamber 10. The tubes 8 are incommunication with the lower part of chamber 10 and the upper part of chamber 11; while the tubes 9 are in communication with chamber 13 andwith the lower part of chamber 11. Further, the upper part of each of chambers 10, 11 and 13 are in communication by way of pipes of small diameter 14, 15 and 16 respectively, with the upper rigid chamber 5. This chamber 5 communicates in its turn with the lower rigid chamber 6 by Way of a pipe 17.

The chamber 5 is provided with an outlet 18 constituting a chamber -19 containing a suitable porous material for regulating the entry and exit of the air.

The chamber 6 communicates through a passageway 20 with expansion boxes 21 of which there may be one or more. Fixed to the underside of chamber 6 is a support 22 for a screw 23 which is provided with a platinum point 2 1 adapted to come in contact with the lowermost of the expansion boxes 21 when they expand. By this means the electric circuit in which the improved apparatus is included, is closed between the screw terminal 23 with the chamber 5, and the remainder of the apparatus with the screw terminal 26.

The operation of the improved apparatus is as follows So long as the rise in temperature is normal, and therefore slow, the increase in the thickness of the layer of heated air contained in the domed top of the apparatus will pass into the tubes 7. The air already present in these tubes will expand and pass by way of the pipe 14 into the chamber 5, exerting an inconsiderable pressure, through the pipe 17 and chamber 6 and into the expansion chambers 21 whence the said air will escape at the proper time through the outlet 18.

A similar occurrence will happen when the heated air reaches the tubes 8 and 9. The apparatus thus will remain without operating, that is to say, as desired.

If, however, by reason of a conflagration or through an other cause, a sudden rise in temperature should take place, the whole of the air contained in all three groups of tubes 7, 8, and 9 will expand at once, and will pass through the pipes 1 t, and 16 respectively into the chamber Now since only a very small quantity of air can escape through the outlet 18, the pressure of the air (entering by way of the passage 17) in the expansion boxes 21 and in the chamber 6 will be sutliciently great to cause these expansion boxes 21 to expand and thus come in contact with the platinum point 24, thereby closing the electric circuit which sets in operation a suitable signal or alarm device of a visual acoustic or other nature.

It is to be understood that in the practical construction of the improved apparatus, the dimensions. forms, shapes and details such as the number and section of the heat-absorbing tubes, the groups constituted by the latter, and the materials of which the several parts are made, ma Vary as desired or required, from those as escribed and shown, without departing from the nature of the invention.

lVhat we claim is 1- An automatic fire alarm comprising in combination heat absorbing tubes arranged in a plurality of superposed groups, flat chambers into which said groups of tubes open, fixed to and interposed between said groups of tubes and at the extremities thereof, a rigid chamber at the upper end and a rigid chamber at the lower end of the combined groups of tubes, the former having an aperture for the passage of air, pipes for establishing communication between said upper rigid chamber, and each of the flat chambers of said groups of tubes, a pipe for establishing communication between said upper rigid chamber and said lower rigid chamber, expansion boxes in communication with the lower rigid chamber and an electric terminal below the lowermost expansion box.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

RAMON CORTILES URIARTE. VICENTE ALZUGARAY ALDAN'A. 

